Primary lung adenocarcinoma harboring upper mediastinal lymphatic skip metastasis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma: A case report and literature review

The upper mediastinal lymph nodes are a rare site of metastasis in early-stage cervical cancer, but they are a common site of metastasis in lung cancer. Notably, standard approaches for identifying the source of metastasis and subsequent treatment are currently lacking. The present study describes the case of a patient with primary lung adenocarcinoma harboring upper mediastinal lymphatic skip metastasis from cervical squamous cell carcinoma 2 years after a radical hysterectomy. During video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, it was indicated that the patient had a tendency for metastasis to the upper mediastinal lymph nodes from the lung tumor. Pathological examination confirmed the presence of metastasis; however, it was confirmed to originate from cervical carcinoma, rather than lung adenocarcinoma. In conclusion, for patients with lung cancer and concurrent malignancies, metastatic lymph nodes discovered during surgery may originate from the previous malignancy. Surgical management of oligometastatic lymph nodes in the mediastinum can be a potential treatment option, albeit one that may necessitate the integration of adjuvant treatment modalities as warranted by the individual case.